ISNA journalists detained over coverage of acid attacks in Isfahan

The editor-in-chief of ISNA in Isfahan has been detained by the authorities in connection with the news agency's coverage of the acid assaults on women. Reports indicate that four ISNA staff were originally arrested in this regard, and while two have been released, Editor-in-chief Zahra Mohammadi and the head of ISNA's society columns, Sanam Farsi, remain in custody.

Last week, ISNA confirmed the arrest of its photographers in connection with its coverage of the public protests against the slow government response to the assaults on women in the city of Isfahan.

ISNA was one of the first media outlets to cover incidents of acid throwing in Isfahan; meanwhile, the authorities have not been able to identify the culprits behind the repeated attacks on women.

The authorities have been critical of overt coverage of the incidents and have been trying to play down the attacks and portray them as the actions of a single individual rather than a reflection of a systematic push to enforce the hijab and Islamic dress code for women.

Detainees in acid-throwing investigation said to be innocent

The suspects detained so far in connection with the acid-throwing assaults on women in Isfahan are not responsible for the crimes, Isfahan Governor Rasoul Zargarpour told the media.

The Shargh daily reported on Tuesday October 28 that according to Zargarpour, investigations have proved that the suspects in custody were not involved in the incidents of acid throwing that have shocked the citizens of Isfahan.

While Parliament was looking into the actions of volunteers who enforce morality and hijab in cities, in recent weeks a number of women in the city of Isfahan were assaulted with acid, sustaining serious burns to their face and arms.

The authorities refuse to link the incidents to the enforcement of hijab and have turned the narrative around, saying the perpetrators were anti-Revolutionaries who are trying to connect these atrocities to hijab.

Meanwhile, the reports on the victims are contradictory. While the Interior Ministry has announced there have been four victims, the head of Security Forces was quoted using the phrase "seven or eight."

The incidents have triggered demonstrations by people in Isfahan and Tehran calling for swift action against the perpetrators and the return of safe streets for women.

- Iranian officials are moving to muzzle media coverage of a string of recent acid attacks targeting young women in the central city of Isfahan. In recent days, several Iranian officials have warned the media over their coverage of the crimes, accusing them of fomenting public discord and promoting the "views of the enemy." -Golnaz Esfandiari, RFE/RL 10/28/14

- Iranians took to the streets in Isfahan and Tehran to protest the recent incidents of acid throwing in Isfahan and demand that the authorities provide security for all citizens. In recent weeks in a number of incidents, women have been assaulted with acid, leaving at least one dead and many others struggling with serious burns to their hands and faces. 10/23/14

- Thousands of Iranians have demonstrated in Tehran and Isfahan against several recent acid attacks against women accused of not being "properly veiled." Hundreds gathered in front of the parliament building in Tehran, while eyewitnesses said a few thousand came to the Justice Ministry building in Isfahan, the central-western city where the acid attacks took place. 10/22/14

- Soheila Jowrkesh had just pulled over to take a call from her mother when she became a victim. As she sat in her car with the window open, two men on a motorcycle threw liquid acid at her. The attack left her completely blind in her right eye, with injuries to her left eye and extensive burns to her forehead, hands, and legs, her father, Nasser Jowrkesh, told the BBC's Persian service. -Golnaz Esfandiari, RFE 10/22/14

- Iranian officials said they are investigating a series of acid attacks on women that occurred in the historic city of Isfahan in recent days. Some social network users in the country wrote that there had been up to 13 acid attacks against female drivers who allegedly were targeted for not being properly veiled. - 10/20/14